Tag Archives: Aretha Franklin

Respect with Jennifer Hudson on Blu-ray November

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The 2021 film “Respect“ starring Jennifer Hudson is officially coming to Blu-ray Disc on November 9th, via Universal Studios Home Entertainment. The film, a biopic about the late singer Aretha Franklin, was directed by Liesl Tommy, and co-stars Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Tituss Burgess, Audra McDonald, and Marc Maron.

The tech specs for the Blu-ray include a 1080p HD video presentation in the 2.39:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Atmos sound on a BD-50 disc. The release will come in the form of a “combo pack” meaning that it will come with its DVD counterpart as well as a digital code (copy) of the film. You can find the Blu-ray available for preorder over at Amazon. The bonus materials set to be included with the release are listed below.

  • The Making of Respect – Explore the unique telling of this Aretha Franklin story, what the project meant to all involved and how music played a pivotal role in crafting this film.
  • Becoming Aretha – Take a behind the scenes look at Jennifer Hudson’s incredible transformation into the Queen of Soul including her commitment to the character, her connection with the late singer, and why inhabiting the legendary artist felt more like destiny than anything else.
  • Capturing a Legacy – A celebration of director Liesl Tommy’s artistry and professionalism as the cast and crew express their appreciation and admiration for her and her process.
  • From Muscle Shoals – Sit-down with the cast, crew and some of the original musicians that recorded with Aretha at Muscle Shoals to learn about this crucial time period in Aretha’s life and how it helped propel her evolution.
  • Exploring the Design of Respect – Production designer Ina Mayhew and costume designer Clint Ramos discuss the research they conducted in order to create the beautiful sets in the film as well as the various custom-made wardrobes that span three decades of style.

Further below, after the break, you can find the trailer and full announcement about the home video release of the film.

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RUMOR: “The Blues Brothers” on 4K in May

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RUMOR time again at HDDN, and it seems that the 1980 film “The Blues Brothers“ is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray here in the United States on May 19th, via Universal, according to a retailer listings. Yes, plural. The film, directed by John Landis, starred John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Frank Oz, Kathleen Freeman, Cab Calloway, Henry Gibson, James Brown, Carrie Fisher, Ray Charles, Matt Murphy, and Aretha Franklin.

UPDATE: The artwork for the front and back is now available via a retailer listing (I’ll discuss below) and I now have more info on this release. It will include both the Theatrical (R-Rated) and Extended Cut (UNRATED) of the film. The tech specs include 4K video in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio with HDR10 form of High Dynamic Range and DTS:X sound, on a BD-100 (100-gigabyte disc). It will come as a “combo pack” with the previous Blu-ray and its existing extras, as well as a digital code (copy) of the film. UPDATE: Now, as of today (3/11) you can find the 4K UHD Blu-ray of the film listed for preorder over at Amazon. You can also find the 4K UHD Blu-ray listed for preorder over at retailer Target, and it’s showing that release date listed above. This would all make sense considering it was announced back last month that France would be getting a 4K release in May, as well (as seen on Amazon.fr). UPDATE: The bonus materials listed to be included on the release are as follows:

  • Stories Behind the Making of The Blues Brothers
  • Transposing the Music
  • Remembering John

UPDATE: Retailer Best Buy will officially be getting an exclusive 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook release of the film the very same date as mentioned. Its artwork (pictured below) is very similar, if not identical to the art that the French SteelBook release previously discussed and linked to. You can now find a preorder link for it over at Best Buy.